I'm not a hockey fan but when speaking my friends who are huge Leafs fans, everything they mention when it comes to Burke and the Leafs direction mirrors what I think of the Raptors. This is a very good sign for all of us who want Colangelo (and everyone else) gone.

Sigh. And when you consider that he was fired basically for not pulling the trigger on a quick-fix patchwork move that trades the one good young controllable piece the Leafs have in Gardiner, that doesn't bode well for likely future moves for the Raps.

I really think there's way more to this than is being reported right now. According to a couple people, Burke had plane tickets to NYC to represent the Leafs at the NHL CBA vote as late as last night, and the plans changed this morning. I mean, you don't fire your GM (and leave literally everyone he put in place) 10 days before the season unless something happened.

Colangelo's time is near... I think it's just a matter of timing, and I don't think he has the ability to make franchise altering moves (without approval) at this point.

I really think there's way more to this than is being reported right now. According to a couple people, Burke had plane tickets to NYC to represent the Leafs at the NHL CBA vote as late as last night, and the plans changed this morning. I mean, you don't fire your GM (and leave literally everyone he put in place) 10 days before the season unless something happened.

Colangelo's time is near... I think it's just a matter of timing, and I don't think he has the ability to make franchise altering moves (without approval) at this point.

A rumour that came out here in Manitoba via a radio Dj who has connections in the Toronto media is that Burke was having an affair with somebody in the leafs organization.

A rumour that came out here in Manitoba via a radio Dj who has connections in the Toronto media is that Burke was having an affair with somebody in the leafs organization.

I think that's probably a whole lot of BS... a radio jock trying to make a name for himself more than anything else.

I think it's more likely something like the fact that Burke had an Autonomy clause in his contract and Bell/Rogers wanted more control over the franchise than he was willing to provide.

IE: McCowan said tonight that he knew that Ownership wants to make the playoffs and see Luongo as the way to do it. Burke did not want to make the deal (reported and Kadri, Gardiner + more), and he was approached by a senior person in MLSE that if he cared about his job he'd make the deal to try and make the playoffs. McCowan said on PTS Burke told the exec that he doesn't care about his job if he made a deal that was bad for the team. The board couldn't force him to make the deal due to the clause so they removed him. And here we are.

IE: McCowan said tonight that he knew that Ownership wants to make the playoffs and see Luongo as the way to do it. Burke did not want to make the deal (reported and Kadri, Gardiner + more), and he was approached by a senior person in MLSE that if he cared about his job he'd make the deal to try and make the playoffs. McCowan said on PTS Burke told the exec that he doesn't care about his job if he made a deal that was bad for the team. The board couldn't force him to make the deal due to the clause so they removed him. And here we are.

Wait a minute. So Burke was fired for not being short-sighted enough? Shit. I really hope that this "get into the playoffs at all costs!" is a Leafs-only thing when it comes to ownership.

This, along with some animosity between the MLSE board and Burke's 'character,' DEFINITELY played a part in his firing.

Well here's the positive I see the more I've thought about it: this might actually be a good thing. The bottom line with regards to Burke is that he's had zero results in his tenure. The team is in no better condition now than when he arrived. No stars, no goalie, no centre, no star D. The owners of MLSE is no longer a trust fund that is simply looking for its 10% ROI. Rogers and Bell (for better or worse) are looking for a marketable product to put on the air. Nothing is more marketable than a winner.

The wheels are already in motion for Colangelo, make no mistake. This is from the Globe:

Quote:

Sportsnetís John Shannon revealed Friday that at a meeting of the board of directors of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, Raptors head coach Dwane Casey was told by, among others, George Cope, chief executive officer of BCE-Bell Canada and a former hoops player at Western University, to simply play whom he wanted to play.